Department for Transport

Driving: Licensing

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advance publicity was given before 8 June of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency telephone number so those drivers who do not wish to use the online service can use it; and what is that number.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 12 May, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) published the View Driving Licence Assisted Digital telephone number (0300 083 0013) on the Abolition of the Counterpart campaign page on GOV.UK. This informed members of the public about their options for generating a driving licence check code. From 19 May, customers telephoning the DVLA’s general enquiry line have been redirected to the new service through the automated telephone system.

Driving: Licensing

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what publicity was given before 8 June to the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) utilised media, online and direct mail channels to inform customers and businesses about the abolition of the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence. The DVLA also engaged directly with trade organisations and car hire companies who may need to check the status of drivers. Since March 2015, the DVLA has written directly to 640,000 professional bus and lorry drivers and sent information to around a million drivers each month with driving licence renewals. Information on GOV.UK about the change has been viewed more than 3.2 million times.

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Cranfield study on cabin air ever collected reliable information on the concentration of organophosphates in a visible fume event; and if so, what the quantitative figures collected were.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Cranfield University report of May 2011 successfully completed a range of air quality measurements during the course of 100 flights. Flight and cabin crew, as well as the investigating scientists reported a number of fume /smell events in a post-flight questionnaire. Samples specifically taken during recorded air quality events did not have notably elevated concentrations of any of the individually measured pollutants. Further detailed figures and measurements can be found in the Cranfield report.

Large Goods Vehicles: Urban Areas

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many local authorities have banned the use of heavy goods vehicles during peak hours in city centres; and what assessment they have made of whether there is evidence that doing so enhances the safety of cyclists.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This information is not held centrally. No assessment regarding the number of authorities which have banned these vehicles or of the effect of such policies has been made by the Department for Transport. Decisions on all aspects of traffic management policy and the promotion of road safety for cyclists are the responsibility of local traffic authorities.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the latest statistics from the National Road Maintenance Condition Survey with regard to the maintenance state of (1) the motorway network, (2) the strategic road network under the care of the Highways Agency, and (3) the main road network maintained by local authorities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I refer my noble Lord to my answer of 6 July (HL794) in the assessment made by Highways Agency, now Highways England, in relation to motorways and trunk roads.   The Department for Transport published road condition statistics in March 2015 based upon data reported by local highway authorities. These suggest that principal ‘A’ roads in England under the responsibility of local highway authorities are starting to show an improvement in condition. It is noteworthy that funding allocated to local highway authorities for local highways maintenance in the 2010-2015 Parliament was £1billion more than in the 2005 to 2010 Parliament. The Department for Transport also set out in December 2014 how it is allocating funding of just under £6 billion to local authorities in England, outside London, for highways maintenance between 2015 and 2021. This represents an increase of around 5% compared to the previous six year period.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the steps taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to combat exclusionary and intolerant interpretations of religious texts by religious clerics.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Saudi Arabian government, from His Royal Highness King Salman down, continue to challenge exclusionary and intolerant interpretations of religious texts by religious clerics, as does the religious establishment. During his accession speech King Salman called for tolerance amongst religions, and during his recent speech marking the start of Ramadan he reaffirmed that he was firmly against any kind of sectarian classification or divisions among the different schools of Islam. The Saudi Arabian authorities have a programme to ensure that text books no longer contain material that could be considered hateful or inciteful. We will continue to support dialogue and opportunities for reform. However, freedom of religion or belief is severely restricted in Saudi Arabia. Public expression of any religion other than Islam is forbidden and non-Muslims are not permitted to worship openly or establish places of worship in Saudi Arabia, although private worship is permitted.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning safe passage for the flotilla carrying medical equipment and solar panels for electricity to Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv have been in close contact with the Israeli authorities regarding the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Gaza. However, the Government did not make any representations concerning safe passage to Gaza for the flotilla, as this is against both our own travel advice and Israeli maritime restrictions. On 29 June, the Israeli Navy intercepted and boarded the Marianne of Gothenberg, no injuries or violence was reported. The Marianne of Gothenberg has now been escorted to Ashdod port.

Travel Restrictions: Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with European partners on the case for banning European Union entry to Israeli settlers convicted of violence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There are currently no plans for European or domestic legislation to issue a blanket ban on Israeli settlers convicted of violence from entering the European Union.The Home Office is responsible for entry clearance into the UK. Since 2005 the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has excluded a number of Jewish settlers from the UK on the basis of extremism.

Israel Defense Forces

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has so far been the result of the internal processes launched by the Israeli Defence Force to investigate specific cases of military engagement.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 2 June, I met the Israeli Military Advocate General (MAG), Major General Dan Efrony, who is leading the Israel Defence Forces' investigations into Operation Protective Edge (OPE), and the Israeli Ambassador to London. Major General Efrony discussed the investigations into OPE. He informed me that his office had received several hundred complaints. Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv also met the Israeli Military Advocate General on 17 June, and discussed OPE with him. Our Ambassador was informed that, to date, almost 200 complaints had been received, half of which were currently under examination or investigation. The MAG had already closed 19 cases and launched 7 criminal investigations. One case had resulted in the indictment of three soldiers for looting. The MAG currently had 13 cases on his desk, having dropped 2 as complainants refused to testify. Tens of additional incidents are still in various different stages of examination by the Fact-Finding Assessment (FFA) Mechanism, and their findings will be submitted to the MAG in due course In addition, the MAG has ordered the opening of 15 criminal investigations without the need for prior examination by the FFA Mechanism on the basis of allegations that indicated prima facie grounds for a reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct. The remainder of the investigations are either still ongoing, or have been completed, with their findings having been submitted to the MAG for review.

United Arab Emirates: Human Rights

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the United Arab Emirates concerning claims of human rights violations and contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our bilateral relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) allows us to discuss a broad range of issues, and where we do have concerns we make these clear to the Emirati authorities. The UAE are not a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but they are a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

United Arab Emirates: Travel Restrictions

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether concerns have been raised with the United Arab Emirates regarding travel bans imposed on relatives of political prisoners.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our bilateral relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) allows us to discuss a broad range of issues, and where we do have concerns we make these clear to the Emirati authorities. The UAE are not a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but they are a member of the UN Human Rights Council. We have not raised travel bans with the UAE government.

Egypt: Capital Punishment

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the death sentences passed on former President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi and more than 100 others, and of the impact of such sentences on militancy in Sinai and on the attitudes of young non-Islamic people in Egypt.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: It is the long-standing policy of the Government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised our concerns over the sentencing to death of former President Morsi with the Egyptian Ambassador in May. He also issued a statement setting out our concern and noting that there are further stages in the legal process, which we will continue to follow closely.We do not underestimate the challenges Egypt faces, including long-standing militancy in Sinai. Stability and security in the long run is best served by bringing as many groups as possible into political processes. We have been clear that the Egyptian authorities must apply the rule of law consistently in line with international standards, and protect the political and legal rights of all Egyptians as the basis for the country’s future stability.

Gaza

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 22 June (HL502 and HL503), what assessment they have made of the reports, on 29 June, that Israeli forces boarded and took control of a Swedish vessel in international waters on route to Gaza with humanitarian aid and with a number of European citizens on boards; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel about this.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have been in close contact with the Israeli authorities regarding this flotilla and in particular the Marianne of Gothenburg. We are pleased that Israel performed its intended action to maintain its maritime restrictions peacefully. The Israeli authorities informed us that there were no British nationals on board the Marianne. Nationals from other Commonwealth countries were present and we offered consular assistance for unrepresented New Zealand nationals.

United Arab Emirates: Political Prisoners

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have raised concerns with the United Arab Emirates about allegations by Amnesty International of the torture of political prisoners in the United Arab Emirates.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of the allegations made by Amnesty International. The British Government’s policy is clear – we do not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture or mistreatment for any purpose. Our bilateral relationship with the United Arab Emirates allows us to discuss a broad range of issues, including human rights. Where we have concerns we make these clear to Emirati authorities.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures the United Kingdom is taking in the UN Security Council to give effect to the statement by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 25 June that "There can be no impunity; we must hunt these people down, and Syria should be referred to the International Criminal Court" (HL Deb, col 1663).

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Last year the UK co-sponsored a UN Security Council resolution to refer all those responsible for war-crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, regardless of affiliation, to the International Criminal Court. This was an opportunity for the world to stand up for justice for the Syrian people. Russia and China chose to veto this resolution. We have a long-standing commitment to accountability for human rights violations and abuses - this will not alter. We continue to support the UN Commission of Inquiry’s investigations into human rights violations and abuses in Syria. In partnership with other donor countries, we have funded the collection of documentary evidence so that in the future those responsible for heinous acts will be held to account.

Mohamed Nasheed

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether any United Kingdom funding or other resources are being used for the benefit of the former President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are not providing any funding or resources for the benefit of former President Nasheed. Officials from our High Commission in Colombo continue to raise his case with the Maldivian government, as has the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), who both met Mr Nasheed’s wife and representatives of his legal team on 24 June.

Multinational Companies: Human Rights

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the United Kingdom will participate in the first session of the open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, established on 26 June 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK intends not to participate in the first session of the intergovernmental working group. Nor will the majority of those members of the Human Rights Council who opposed the resolution which created it. We supported the alternative approach pioneered in the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights.

Radicalism

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to discuss with the governments of (1) the United States of America, (2) France, (3) Germany, (4) Italy, (5) Australia, (6) Canada, (7) India, (8) Austria, and (9) Russia, the possible creation of an international force to tackle Islamic extremism wherever it occurs in the world, including elements of those countries' armed, intelligence and police forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In addition to our efforts in the UN, EU and other multilateral fora to tackle Islamist extremism, the UK is a leading member of the Global Coalition of over 60 countries to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Global Coalition’s efforts include cutting off ISIL finance, reducing the influx of fighters, supporting governments and civil society to challenge extremist ideology, and stabilising areas liberated from ISIL control.

EU Withdrawal

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether, in the event of a member state leaving the European Union, legislation on that country's statute book that originated at European Union level remains law until expressly removed by domestic legislative procedures.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In general terms, national legislation which is validly adopted in accordance with national procedures will remain valid until it expires, is amended or repealed.

Northern Ireland Office

Welfare State: Northern Ireland

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of there being no agreement to recent proposals on welfare reform in Northern Ireland, what alternative measures are being considered to implement welfare reform in Northern Ireland.

Lord Dunlop: The full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement offers the best way to resolve the current welfare reform impasse and build a brighter, more secure future for Northern Ireland. The Government will do what is necessary to implement our obligations under the Agreement and expects the Northern Ireland Executive parties to do the same.

Department for International Development

Development Aid

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which government officials and ministers will attend the Third International Conference on Financing for Development on 13–16 July.

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to involve United Kingdom members of parliament who are attending the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in any of their meetings and deliberations in Addis Ababa.

Baroness Verma: Secretary of State Justine Greening will lead the UK delegation to the Financing for Development conference. The full UK delegation will be defined closer to the time. DfID is looking for opportunities to engage with United Kingdom members of parliament who are attending the conference.

Syria

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the last three financial years, what proportion of United Kingdom aid and emergency relief has been spent on the cantons of Afrin, Kobane and Jazira, in Syria.

Baroness Verma: Between February 2012 and the end of financial year 2014/15 DFID has provided £315 million to implementing partners delivering humanitarian aid and assistance to the most vulnerable people in Syria. This support has been provided on the basis of where needs were greatest and in line with the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality. For the protection of beneficiaries and our partners working in areas of active conflict, we do not break down spending allocations in Syria beyond the national level.

Immigration

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve aid for migrants fleeing war, oppression and poverty, in the light of the events at Calais on 24 June.

Baroness Verma: We are taking a comprehensive approach to the migrant crisis. A vital part of this response must be to stabilise the source countries from which migrants are fleeing, including through provision of more jobs and livelihood opportunities reducing poverty and the pressure to migrate. In the long-term, development assistance addresses the root causes of instability and insecurity, reducing inequality and providing economic opportunities for all. To this end, DFID is investing £1.8 billion on economic development globally in 2015/16.

Syria: International Assistance

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UN acts to deliver securely aid to Syria for longer periods of time, and to ensure that such aid reaches more civilians in need, in accordance with UN Security Council Regulations 2165 and 2191.

Baroness Verma: The UK co-sponsored Security Council Resolutions 2165 and 2191, enabling the UN to deliver cross-border aid without the consent of the Syrian regime. We continue to call on all sides to the conflict to ensure free, unimpeded access for neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies to provide vital assistance to those in need. We worked hard to mobilise funding from other donors ahead of the third Kuwait Pledging Conference in March, which raised $3.6 billion, and we work alongside the UN to maintain momentum on fundraising longer-term. We also provide long term funding to our partners so they can plan ahead, and encourage on other donors to do the same.

Syria: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the countries neighbouring Syria to ensure that borders remain open to refugees fleeing conflict and persecution; how many refugees are currently living in those countries; and what further assistance they plan to give those countries to help them deal with refugees.

Baroness Verma: Syria’s neighbours have been generous in welcoming huge numbers of refugees, but tighter border restrictions are making it increasingly difficult for people to leave Syria. We hold regular discussions with host governments on this issue, and support UN refugee agencies UNHCR and UNRWA in their advocacy. There are over 3.9 million Syrian refugees in the region, including over 1.7 million in Turkey, over 1.1 million in Lebanon, and over 629,000 in Jordan. There are also 560,000 Palestinian refugees registered in Syria and thousands more in neighbouring countries, including many who have fled Syria. Whilst addressing the immediate needs of refugees and vulnerable members of host communities, UK aid is also supporting their longer term resilience and stability through funding to Lebanese and Jordanian municipalities for the running of essential public services, such as education.

World Food Programme

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to avoid the World Food Programme running out of funds for its food vouchers for refugees in Jordan and elsewhere.

Baroness Verma: The UK has been at the forefront of the Syria crisis response and has provided the World Food Programme with £164 million for use in Syria and the region to date, with provision for a further £23 million this year. The UK cannot however support the crisis alone, and other donors must step up and come good on their aid pledges.  Securing enough food is just one of several priority needs for Syrian refugees. In Jordan, the UK is helping refugees in a way that allows them to prioritise how they meet their daily needs by supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ unconditional cash programme.

Ministry of Justice

Prison Sentences

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what accredited courses are or have been available to those serving indefinite sentences for public protection in (1) HMP Durham and (2) HMP Acklington; and how many of each have been cancelled in the last three years.

Lord Faulks: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not commission accredited programmes exclusively for Indeterminate Sentence Prisoners. Programme and public protection resources are allocated based on offenders' type, level of risk and criminogenic needs in order to maximise public safety and value for money.It is important that Indeterminate Sentence Prisoners have access to services that are appropriate to their risk and needs. NOMS has been using an evidence based approach to move investment in interventions to higher intensity longer programmes that are more likely to meet the complex needs of Indeterminate Sentence Prisoners. This approach increases the availability and access to these services across the estate.HMP Durham, like many other local prisons, has not been commissioned to deliver accredited programmes as the primary function of the prison is to serve the courts and hold prisoners who are on remand. Where a prisoner is identified as having a need for a specific accredited programme, and has sufficient time left in their sentence to complete the programme in custody (including prisoners who are serving indefinite sentences for public protection), they would be transferred to an appropriate prison delivering the identified programme.HMP Acklington is the former name of HMP Northumberland. HMP Northumberland was formed following the merger of two separate prisons – HMP Acklington and HMP Castington on 31 October 2011.HMP Northumberland is commissioned to deliver two different accredited programmes. Thinking Skills Programme (TSP) which is a short non offence specific thinking skills programme and Core Sexual Offending Treatment Programme (SOTP) which is designed for medium to high risk sex offenders.There have been no cancellations of courses.

Courts: Greater London

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the court estate in London.

Lord Faulks: Our court estate in London and across England and Wales is a major asset. We need to create a more efficient estate and in an increasingly digital world, we are looking at how we use our buildings to deliver the best possible service to our users in future.Any proposals on the future of courts in London or elsewhere will be subject to consultation.

Courts: Closures

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many courts have been closed since May 2010.

Lord Faulks: Following the decision taken by the previous Government in December 2010, 146 underused courts have been closed since May 2010.

Ministry of Justice: Freedom of Information

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many freedom of information requests submitted to the Ministry of Justice are presently outstanding.

Lord Faulks: On 23 June, 442 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests received by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) were recorded as awaiting a response. This figure includes both requests that were within the statutory deadline and those where a response was overdue. MOJ consistently receives one of the highest volumes of FOI requests across Whitehall and replies to requests every day, so the number awaiting a response constantly changes.

Courts: Interpreters

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the interpretation service at courts and tribunals.

Lord Faulks: This Government is committed to providing a standard of interpreter that meets the needs of those requiring support in the justice system. My department continues closely to monitor the language services contract and target work and investment to further drive improvements and reduce the burden on taxpayers. An independent review of interpreter quality standards was published, together with the coalition Government’s response, on the Ministry of Justice website on 17 December 2014.

Asylum: Appeals

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of lay members sitting in asylum cases, and (2) the regional distribution of lay members who sit in asylum cases; and what steps they are taking to promote the sitting of lay members in asylum cases, in particular those concerned with appeals by foreign criminals against deportation involving complex assessments of Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review how the contribution of lay members in asylum cases is treated following the Court of Appeal judgment in PF (Nigeria) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 251, in which the importance of the lay member’s interpretation on matters of fact was highlighted.

Lord Faulks: HMCTS does not routinely assess the number of lay members sitting in asylum cases or their regional distribution by either location or appeal type, as the composition of panels is a judicial function. The First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Composition of Tribunal) Order 2008 states that the composition of Tribunal panels is the responsibility of the Senior President of Tribunals. The need for non-legal members is continuously assessed by the Immigration and Asylum Chambers and sitting days are made available based on workloads and requirements set out under the Senior President’s delegated powers. The contribution and deployment of non-legal members is a matter for the Senior President of Tribunals.

Human Rights Act 1998

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on 23 June (HC Deb, col 749), what is the basis for the statement that parties that support reform of the Human Rights Act secured more than 50 per cent of the votes at the last general election.

Lord Faulks: The Conservative Party, the United Kingdom Independence Party and the Democratic Unionist Party all publicly support reform or repeal of the Human Rights Act and together received more than half of the votes cast at the last election.

Secure Accommodation

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of children on remand (either remanded in custody or remanded to local authority accommodation) were detained in secure children’s homes each year between 2010 and 2014.

Lord Faulks: Young people are placed in establishments that can most effectively manage their individual needs and risks. The Youth Justice Board is responsible for the placement of young people who are remanded or sentenced to custody. Table 1 shows the proportion of children and young people on remand (either remanded in custody or remanded to local authority accommodation) who were detained in secure children’s homes each year between 2010 and 2013 (the latest year for which complete data is available). Table 1: Proportion of children and young people on remand who were detained in secure children’s homes 2010-2013 2010201120122013Proportion of children and young people on remand (either remanded in custody or remanded to local authority accommodation) who were detained in secure children’s homes7%7%7%10%Notes:1. The table shows the calendar year in which the young person was sentenced, not the date on which they received a remand decision. This is because a young person can receive multiple remand decisions over multiple dates as part of their court proceedings.2. Only the most restrictive remand decision applied during the course of the court proceeding is presented. Where a young person was remanded both to local authority accommodation and to custody during the court process, only the remand to custody would be counted as it is the most restrictive remand decision given. The data presented above comes from the YJB's Youth Justice Management Information System (YJMIS) database. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

Community Rehabilitation Companies

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what processes are in place to monitor the development and effectiveness of through-the-gate services provided in prisons by Community Rehabilitation Companies.

Lord Faulks: Contract Management Teams, who are responsible for managing the contracts with the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC), are closely monitoring the delivery of ‘Through the Gate’ (TTG), to ensure CRCs are delivering effective resettlement services. This is being undertaken as part of the rigorous contract management arrangements which include a number of governance meetings involving the CRC, NPS and prisons. Prior to 1 May, the Ministry also undertook detailed assurance to ensure that providers were ready to stand up their TTG services. This assurance will continue until this new service is fully embedded.

Probation

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish recall to custody data broken down by each Community Rehabilitation Company area and by the National Probation Service.

Lord Faulks: Data on those offenders recalled to custody broken down by each Community Rehabilitation Company and by the National Probation Service will be published in July as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly bulletin. In January, my department published a statistical consultation document and set of tables proposing how information on recalls could be presented to make sure that the changes made as a part of the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms could be monitored. In April, in response to this consultation, my department set out an intention to publish this data in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly bulletin.

Brixton Prison

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what facilities are available for prisoners at HMP Brixton to take part in an act of worship.

Lord Faulks: The following services are scheduled weekly at HMP Brixton: Friday12.30pm Muslim Prayers1.45pm Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu service. Sunday9.15 am Roman Catholic Mass10.15 am Church of England & Free Church Service Evening bible studies are run on A and B wings on Wednesdays at 4.30pm; on G wing on Mondays at 4.30pm; and on C wing at 6.00pm and D wing on Thursdays at 4.30pm. Muslim classes run each day Monday to Thursday. There is also a full-time, four week, paid resettlement course “Faith in the Future” that is open to people of any faith and none – although it looks at resettlement from a Christian perspective. In addition, prisoners have access and can see chaplains or ministers from the following faiths: Church of EnglandRoman CatholicFree ChurchOrthodox ChristianMuslimJewSikhHinduBuddhistJehovah’s WitnessPagan

Brixton Prison

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the opportunities for prisoners to pursue education courses at HMP Brixton.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the opportunities for prisoners to learn a trade at HMP Brixton.

Lord Faulks: Learning and skills for over 18s in custody in England is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and co-commissioned between NOMS and the Skills Funding Agency. Provision is delivered by education providers via the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) and aims to mirrors provision available in the community. Core elements of the curriculum are literacy and numeracy, vocational training, preparation for employment and personal and social development. Governors decide what should be offered in their prison, based on prisoner needs as well as the needs of employers in the areas into which prisoners will resettle. HMP Brixton provides a diverse curriculum and opportunities for real work experience – this currently includes subjects covering barista, bakery, barbering, business studies, cleaning, numeracy, literacy, graphics, horticulture, IT, painting and decorating, retail and customer service activities. The current learning offer at HMP Brixton will be changing in the new academic year to be increasingly focussed on vocational training in areas such as hospitality, catering, customer service, retail and horticulture. Guidance will also be available on self employment. Work and learning projects include the Bad Boys Bakery; a new dry lining workshop; and the CLINK Restaurant offering prisoners nationally recognised vocational qualifications to enhance their job prospects after release.

Ministry of Defence

Military Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the loss of Maritime Patrol Aircraft capability in 2010, there is any airborne surveillance capability available to assist the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Revenue and Customs and the Border Agency; and whether assets available today will be available next year.

Earl Howe: Requests to assist other Government Departments and agencies are routinely received by the Ministry of Defence through the Maritime Operations Centre, the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre, who will decide the appropriate surface or aviation asset to provide the support from a range of maritime and aviation capabilities.The type and quantity of assets at the Ministry of Defence's disposal is not necessarily constant from one year to the next. Different factors are taken into account when procuring and supporting capabilities.The Strategic Defence and Security Review will allow us to review our maritime and aviation capability.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the full list of armoured fighting vehicles and protected mobility vehicles in operation with the British Army, and whether each vehicle is in general service on units' Equipment Tables, or an Urgent Operational Requirement.

Earl Howe: The armoured fighting and protected mobility vehicles in operation with the British Army are: Challenger 2, Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Titan, Trojan, Warrior, Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle(Tracked), Bulldog, AS90, Terrier, Warthog, Mastiff, Ridegback, Wolfhound, Husky, Panther, Jackal, Coyote, Foxhound, Revised Weapons Mounted Installation Kit+ Land Rover/ Revised Weapons Mounted Installation Kit Land Rover and Snatch/Vixen.Some of these vehicles were initially bought as Urgent Operational Requirements for operations. They have all now been brought into core funding and are shown on unit establishment tables.

Russia: Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether any new armoured fighting vehicles were at the recent May Day parade in Moscow; and if so, what is their unclassified assessment of the vehicles seen.

Earl Howe: This year's parade featured the T-14 tank, Kurganets-25 series armoured fighting vehicles and the Bumerang armoured personnel carrier. We judge that all three systems represent significant improvement over their predecessors.The T-14 will have improved projectile performance; a gun launched anti-tank guided missile capability and increased crew survivability.The T-14, Kurganets-25 and Bumerang will have the new and improved Epoch remote controlled turret. Advanced defensive aid suites are likely to be common to all new vehicle types.

Army Reserve: Officers

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 23 June (HL436), what is the average age of an Army Reserve commissioned officer.

Earl Howe: As at 1 April 2015, the average age of an Army Reserve commissioned officer is 44.More information about the age profile of the Reserve Force may be found in the annual National Statistics publication 'UK Reserve Forces and Cadets', located at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strength-of-the-uk, which is attached for ease of reference.



TSP 7 UK Reserve Forces and Cadets
(PDF Document, 281.19 KB)

Defence

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government over what periods in the last 30 years there has been a threat to the existence of the United Kingdom; and what was the average percentage of gross domestic product spent on defence in each of those years.

Earl Howe: The UK has, and continues to face, a broad range of complex threats both at home and abroad.The table below shows the proportion of gross domestic product that the UK has spent on defence each year since 1985. This data is published annually by NATO as part of its Defence Expenditure publications. YearPercentage of GDP spent on Defence19855.219864.919874.619883.219894.119904.119914.319923.8  19933.619943.419953.11996319972.719982.619992.520002.520012.520022.420032.420042.220052.520062.420072.520082.620092.620102.620112.620122.220132.320142.220152.1

Army: Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the accommodation provided in the United Kingdom for members of the British Army is not en-suite.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the accommodation provided in the United Kingdom for members of the Royal Navy is not en-suite.

Earl Howe: This information is not held centrally. The department is currently developing a robust Single Living Accommodation allocation and management system which will be available in 2016.

Conflict Resolution: Females

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 30 June (HL698), when the steering board on Women, Peace and Security was established; and on how many occasions it has met.

Earl Howe: The senior-level steering board on Women, Peace and Security was established in April 2015. The Board will meet every six months; its first meeting was in April 2015 and the second will be held in September 2015.

Department for Work and Pensions

Access to Work Programme

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the availability of Access to Work grants for those who especially need them to start working.

Baroness Altmann: Access to Work grants are available for those who meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme including those who are about to start working. Access to Work has specialist teams to ensure more complicated cases are processed as quickly as possible and fast track applications for those who know their circumstances or have a prior assessment enabling support to be put in place quickly.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Neonicotinoids

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the latest evidence of the harm to bees from certain pesticides; and whether, in the light of such evidence, they plan to reject the emergency authorisation for use of neonicotinoids this autumn and press for the current restrictions to be made permanent and expanded to cover all crops.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Decisions on the approval of pesticide active substances are made at European level. Since December 2013, three of the five neonicotinoids currently approved are not permitted for use on a wide range of crops considered “attractive to bees”. A number of other uses remain permitted under the EU approval. The restrictions currently in place for neonicotinoids are not time-limited. They will remain in place until and unless the European Commission decides to change them.   The Commission has begun a review of the science relating to neonicotinoids and bees. This will include effects on bees from seed treatment and granule uses of the restricted neonicotinoids on any crop. The Government will contribute fully to this review and will base its view on future regulation of neonicotinoids on all the available scientific evidence.  EU legislation allows Member States to consider applications for the authorisation of products to deal with emergency situations that are temporary, limited in scale and controlled.

Pet Animals Act 1951

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the effectiveness of the Pet Animals Act 1951 in view of the increase in the sale of pets online.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Anyone in the business of selling pets whether in a traditional pet shop or on-line is subject to the provisions of the Pet Animals Act 1951. The definition of keeping a pet shop in the 1951 Act is broad enough to bring on-line sales within the scope of the Act; therefore no changes are needed.

Water Companies

Lord Oxburgh: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk of cross-subsidy issues in the deregulated water marketplace that would make the market unfair for new entrants.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government is committed to ensuring that there is a level playing field in the new retail market in order to make it attractive for new entrants and deliver the best deals for customers. The Water Act 2014 included provisions prohibiting discrimination between a wholesale water appointee and its retail arm; cross-subsidy would normally be seen as a form of discrimination.   Parties within the Open Water programme (the cross-sector programme responsible for implementing the new market for non-household retail services) are using a number of tools to ensure a fair and level playing field for all market participants.   Ofwat has set separate price caps for household and non-household customers and for wholesale and retail services in the 2014 Price Review. This stops cross-subsidy between household and non-household customers and between the wholesale and retail parts of companies’ businesses.   Ofwat is also proposing licence conditions for new retail licensees that prohibit discrimination and cross-subsidy. These will mirror conditions that already exist in the licences of water and sewerage undertakers.   Open Water Markets Ltd (the body currently representing all market participants) has developed detailed rules or ‘codes’ that require all interactions within the market between wholesalers and retailers to follow a common approach. This is designed to ensure a level playing field, principally on non-price issues.   Underpinning these new arrangements there is also an existing framework of competition law at both a UK and European level which prohibits discrimination by an incumbent in favour of one retailer over another, for example by offering preferential terms or prices or engaging in other anti-competitive behaviour. Ofwat has powers to investigate and fine companies up to 10% of their revenues where it finds such activity has occurred.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they plan to introduce to encourage higher penetration of environmentally friendly vehicles into the car and lorry market in order to combat the threat to public health of increasing air pollution.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We are fully committed to tackling the challenges of air pollution. We have committed £2 billion since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles and green transport initiatives and to support Local Authorities to take action. This has included investment in cycling schemes and low emission buses. We will publish revised air quality plans for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by the end of this year. These will set out actions at all levels, including national and local, to achieve compliance with legal limits for NO2 in the shortest possible time.

Cabinet Office

Social Mobility

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review procurement processes to penalise companies which are failing to recruit bright working-class candidates, according to the recent report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

Lord Bridges of Headley: Wider socio-economic criteria can be taken into account at tender evaluation stage if they relate directly to the subject matter of a contract from the point of view of the contracting authority.

Electoral Register

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to respond to the Electoral Commission’s "Assessment of progress with the transition to Electoral Individual Registration" published on 18 June.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The Government is considering the findings and recommendation set out in the Electoral Commission’s report in order to inform our decision over whether to seek to end the transition to Individual Electoral Registration (IER) in December 2015 or December 2016. We will respond in due course with our approach for ending the transition to IER.

Department of Health

Skin Cancer

Lord Clark of Windermere: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidelines are issued to Clinical Commissioning Groups regarding patients with high-risk skin cancers such as melanoma.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England has published a service specification for adult skin cancer services that sets out what the National Health Service must have in place to offer high quality skin cancer treatment, care and support. Embedded in this is the current best practice guidance on skin cancer published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).   NICE is developing a guideline on the assessment and management of melanoma. NICE currently expects to publish its final guidance in July 2015. Further information is available at the following link and a copy of the webpage has been attached.   www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-cgwave0674   In addition, NICE is currently in the process of updating its Public Health guidance on skin cancer prevention: information, resources and environmental changes (PH32). 



NICE webpage
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Liver Diseases

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the programme of work for liver disease being developed by Public Health England will include a hepatitis C improvement framework.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) are working alongside a coalition of other organisations and patient groups to draft a framework for hepatitis C improvement. This hepatitis C improvement framework will set high level aims for the public health system towards elimination of hepatitis C related liver disease as a significant public health concern.   The hepatitis C improvement framework will be referred to in PHE’s liver disease framework.

Hepatitis

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the national waiting time criterion for referral to hepatitis C treatment is 18 weeks whereas the national waiting time criterion for referral to specialist services for HIV treatment is two weeks.

Lord Prior of Brampton: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 08 July 2015.The correct answer should have been:

NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) are working alongside a coalition of other organisations and patient groups to draft a framework for hepatitis C improvement. This hepatitis C improvement framework will set high level aims for the public health system towards elimination of hepatitis C related liver disease as a significant public health concern.   The hepatitis C improvement framework will be referred to in PHE’s liver disease framework. Timing for access to care or treatments for all NHS England service specifications or policies is based on an assessment of the evidence for clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and affordability.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) are working alongside a coalition of other organisations and patient groups to draft a framework for hepatitis C improvement. This hepatitis C improvement framework will set high level aims for the public health system towards elimination of hepatitis C related liver disease as a significant public health concern.   The hepatitis C improvement framework will be referred to in PHE’s liver disease framework. Timing for access to care or treatments for all NHS England service specifications or policies is based on an assessment of the evidence for clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and affordability.

Andrew Lansley

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have decided to appeal the ruling that the official diary of Andrew Lansley in the period running up to the Health and Social Care Act 2012 be disclosed; and if not, when that diary will be disclosed.

Lord Prior of Brampton: An application has been made to the Court of Appeal seeking permission to appeal the ruling of the Upper Tribunal.

Palliative Care

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 23 June (HL Deb, col 1471), what steps they are taking to ensure that the ministry of chaplains in United Kingdom hospitals and hospices remains a part of end-of-life care.

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 23 June (HL Deb, col 1471), what steps they are taking to ensure (1) that NHS England continues to commission adequate healthcare chaplaincy services, and (2) that, as stated by the Minster of State for Community and Social Care on 17 December 2013 (HC180621), local NHS trusts continue to be "responsible for determining, delivering and funding religious and spiritual care in a way that meets the needs of their patients, carers and staff."

Lord Prior of Brampton: We value the important role chaplaincy services play in delivering compassionate, personalised care, including at the end of life. The five Priorities for Care of the Dying Person, which the Government introduced in June 2014 and is attached, set out the importance of sensitive communication and the spiritual care of dying people and those important to them. As a member of the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People, the College of Health Care Chaplains was integral to the development, dissemination and implementation of the Priorities for Care.   It remains the case that local National Health Service trusts are responsible for determining, delivering and funding religious and spiritual care in a way that meets the needs of their patients, carers and staff. NHS England is not involved in commissioning chaplaincy services locally. However, NHS England maintains a dialogue with chaplaincy associations through the NHS Chaplaincy programme and the Chaplaincy Leaders Forum as part of NHS England’s work on improving patient care, promoting equality and reducing inequalities in health outcomes.   As health is a devolved issue, the commissioning and provision of chaplaincy services in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should be addressed to the relevant devolved administrations. 



One Chance To Get It Right
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Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that people with multiple sclerosis currently accessing beta interferon and glatiramer acetate through the Risk Sharing Scheme continue to access these treatments after data collection for the Scheme ends in summer 2015.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The end of data collection for the Multiple Sclerosis Risk Sharing Scheme will not affect the availability of the beta interferons and glatiramer acetate through the Scheme. The NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Group (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 require commissioners to fund the provision of the Scheme drugs for those patients who meet the clinical guidelines.

Multiple Sclerosis: Nurses

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that specialist multiple sclerosis nurses funded through the Risk Sharing Scheme remain in post after data collection for the Scheme ends in summer 2015.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Risk Sharing Scheme remains in operation until 2016. We will work with NHS England and the four drug company members of the Scheme to ensure that specialist nursing support for MS patients is not disrupted when the Scheme comes to an end.